“June in the Rockies” Welcomes Summer in Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado

An action-packed month gets the season rolling with fun & great deals

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (May 5, 2011) — Late spring and early summer are glorious days of blue skies, pleasant temperatures, trail openings and welcoming back visitors for fair-weather activities in Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colo.  To showcase the action-packed happenings of June, the Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley has teamed up to present the fourth annual “June in the Rockies.” 

A world-famous musical, readers’ and writers’ workshops, biking events, free outdoor concerts, fishing derbies, farmers’ markets, art walks, Gunnison River Festival, and fishing and golf competitions are all part of the fun.  Also, Tour de Forks, a gourmet dining series that takes place in fabulous mountain homes in the Gunnison-Crested Butte valley, kicks off June 26 and concludes Sept. 11.  For a full schedule, visit http://www.crestedbuttearts.org/.

The month kicks off with the second annual Crested Butte Restaurant Week, providing culinary aficionados with great dining and lodging deals from June 3 – 10.  Diners and overnight guests in Crested Butte, situated at 8,885 feet above sea level, can revel and relax to their hearts’ content for the price of $88.85 for meals or lodging.  Participating restaurants will offer multi-course dinners for $88.85 for a party of four, or $22.21 per person.  Establishments that do not serve dinner will provide multi-course lunch promotions for $8.85.  Special lodging rates will be available starting at $88.85 per room, per night. Prices do not include tax and gratuity. Go to http://www.crestedbutterestaurantweek.com/. 

Week 1: June 1 - 5

1 - 25               Biennial Nueva & Renata Sieck Exhibitions, Gunnison Arts Center

3                      First Friday Gallery Crawl & Music, Various Galleries & Locations, Gunnison

3                        Fridays @ 5 at the Gunnison Art Center, Live Music on the Courtyard

3 - 10               Crested Butte Restaurant Week (Special Dining & Lodging Deals)

3 - 5                 "Cups" a Play Performed by Tricia Seeberg, Mallardi Cabaret Theatre, Crested Butte

4                      Fishing & Outdoor Sports Derby, Jorgesen Park, Gunnison

4                        National Trails Day - Trail Work Day with CB Mountain Bike Association, CB Area

5                      Sundays @ 7 (Free Concerts) Presented by the Gunnison Arts Center, Legion Park         

Week 2: June 6 - 12

1 - 25               Biennial Nueva & Renata Sieck Exhibitions, Gunnison Arts Center

3 - 10               Crested Butte Restaurant Week (Special Dining & Lodging Deals)

10                     Gunnison Golf Classic Presented by Gunnison Valley Health Foundation, Dos Rios

Golf Club, Gunnison

10                      Fridays @ 5 at the Gunnison Art Center, Live Music on the Courtyard

10 - 11             Relay for Life Fund-Raiser for American Cancer Society, Jorgensen Park, Gunnison

11                     Taylor Park Marina Fishing Derby, Taylor Park Reservoir

11                     Crested Butte/Ride the Rockies Soul Center of Cycling Street Fest, Elk Avenue

11 - 12             Ride the Rockies Bike Ride Kicks Off in Crested Butte on June 12

12                     Crested Butte Farmers' Market, Elk Avenue & First Street

12                      Sundays @ 7 (Free Concerts) Presented by the Gunnison Arts Center, Legion Park

12                     Summer Variety Show by Crested Butte Mountain Theatre, Mallardi Cabaret, CB

Week 3: June 13 - 19

1 - 25               Biennial Nueva & Renata Sieck Exhibitions, Gunnison Arts Center

16                     Annual Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Bird Survey, Gothic

17                      Fridays @ 5 at the Gunnison Art Center, Live Music on the Courtyard

17                     Pinnacle Series Bike Race, Crested Butte Mountain Resort

17 - 18             Gunnison Valley Observatory Open for Public Viewing, Gunnison

17 - 19             Crested Butte Writers Conference, Elevation Hotel & Spa, Mt. Crested Butte

18                     Readers in the Rockies, Elevation Hotel & Spa, Mt. Crested Butte

18                     Adventure Park, Evolution Bike Park and Chairlift Open, CB Mountain Resort

19                     Crested Butte Farmers' Market, Elk Avenue & First Street

19                     Sundays @ 7 (Free Concerts) Presented by the Gunnison Arts Center, Legion Park

Week 4: June 20 - 26

1 - 25               Biennial Nueva & Renata Sieck Exhibitions, Gunnison Arts Center

22                     Wednesdays at Western State College, Different Activities/Topics Each Week

23 - 26             31^st Annual Crested Butte Bike Week, Crested Butte & Mt. Crested Butte

23 - 26             Gunnison River Festival, Gunnison

24                      Fridays @ 5 at the Gunnison Art Center, Live Music on the Courtyard

24                     Western State College - Colorado Brass Band Concert, Quigley Band Shell, Gunnison

24 - 25             Gunnison Valley Observatory Open for Public Viewing, Gunnison

24 - 25             Radio Theater (3 stories in 90 minutes), Gunnison Arts Center

24 - 26             Wildflower Rush Cross Country/Downhill Bike Races, Crested Butte Mtn. Resort

25 - 26               "Oklahoma!" Presented by CB Mountain Theatre, Mallardi Cabaret Theatre

25                     Gunnison Farmers' Market, Virginia Avenue & Main Street

25 - 26             Bridges of the Butte (24-hour townie bike tour), Presented by the Adaptive Sports

Center, Crested Butte

26                     Crested Butte Farmers' Market, Elk Avenue & First Street

26                     Sundays @ 7 (Free Concerts) Presented by the Gunnison Arts Center, Legion Park

26 - Sept. 11     Tour de Forks (gourmet dining series), Presented by CB Center for the Arts

Week 5: June 27 - 30

27                     Alpenglow (Free Outdoor Concert), Crested Butte Center for the Arts

28 - July 30       Heart of the West & Tierney Miller Exhibitions, Gunnison Arts Center

29                     Wednesdays at Western State College, Different Activities/Topics Each Week

29 - 30              "Oklahoma!" Presented by CB Mountain Theatre, Mallardi Cabaret Theatre

30                     ArtWalk Evening, Studios & Galleries in Crested Butte

June Vacation Deals 

Don't forget the lodging deals being offered during Crested Butte Restaurant Week , June 3 - 10, http://www.crestedbutterestaurantweek.com/.

Enjoy all of the benefits of Harmel's Ranch Resort near Almont, Colorado, and stay in one of the Hitchn' Post Lodge's eight motel-style rooms, each with one queen bed and one double bed complete, for only $110 per night for up to four people per room.  The early- and late-season Hitchn' Post Package is available May 22 - June 14 and Aug. 16 - Sept. 17, 2011 and includes a hearty breakfast buffet, private fishing permit, stocked rainbow trout pond, and numerous other amenities.  Offer is based on availability and does not include tax/service fee.  Book by calling (800) 235-3402, and also visit http://www.harmels.com/.  This same deal is available from June 15 - Aug. 15, 2011, for $140 per night.  Also ask about the Summer Solstice Special available from June 19 - 23, 2011, and receive more than 20 percent off various lodging options.

Save on lodging and rafting when staying two nights or more at Three Rivers Resort in Almont from May 1 - June 10 and Aug. 15 - Sept. 30.  For only $100 per person, receive two night's lodging in a lodge room or small, one-room cabin and one Upper Taylor whitewater raft trip each.  Price is based on two-person occupancy and does not include lodging taxes.  This offer is not valid with any other offers or existing reservations and can be booked by calling (888) 761-3474.  Other lodging options and custom packages can be arranged.  Visit http://www.3riversresort.com/.

Plan a summer vacation now, get your choice of available premier lodging and save 20 percent on all Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) lodging options. The Book Early and Save package also includes a single-ride chairlift ticket for each individual on the reservation. Lodging options range from condominiums perfect for the whole family to the slopeside Elevation Hotel and Spa featuring the finest amenities. This offer is valid for travel between April 5 - Nov. 21, 2011 and must be booked by May 31, 2011. The package cannot be combined with any other offers and is valid only on new reservations.  Contact Crested Butte Vacations at 800-600-2803 and visit http://www.skicb.com/.

Enjoy a convenient location across the street from two parks and Western State College of Colorado and walk only a few blocks to downtown Gunnison when staying at the Western Motel.  Book a two-night stay in a single queen standard room for $130 or a double queen standard room for $150.  The cost includes free WiFi and continental breakfast. This deal is valid from May 15 - Sept. 30, 2011.  Call (888) 641-1722, ask for Edward and mention this deal from the Tourism Association'swebsite.  Visit www.westernmotel-co.com.

Visitor Information & Other Personalized Vacation Packages
To request visitor information or to book other personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association’s official reservations center at (800) 814-8893 or visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com.  During summer and fall, air access to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is provided by United Airlines.  Find the Tourism Association on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gcbta or follow us on www.twitter.com/gcbta. 

About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado
Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado.  Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing.  Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities.  In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding.  Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options — from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels. 

Gunnison, county seat and a real western town, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, which offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional fields.  Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities. 

Recognized as the “Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado” by the Colorado Legislature and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Dozen Distinctive Destinations” in 2008, Crested Butte is 28 miles from Gunnison and the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.  Only three miles up the road is the resort village of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the ski area, an active base area, the area’s conference center, and outstanding hiking and biking trails. 

Marble is located in the Upper Crystal River Valley along the Elk Mountains and is the gateway to nearby Crystal, home to one of the most photographed mill sites in the country. Marble has seven sites on the National Register of Historic Places and is the location of the Yule Marble Quarry.

In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado’s largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country’s newest national parks.  Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.  Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways.

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PHOTO: Wildflower Rush, courtesy of Crested Butte Mountain Resort & Alex Fenlon

For a Word version of this press release, click on the link below.

Contact:                        Beth Buehler                                        

Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association                 

(970) 349-1168 or bethbuehler@qwestoffice.net

http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/